Flags around San Francisco and at the California State Capitol will be lowered this week out of respect for Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died Saturday of a sudden illness.
President Donald Trump on Monday ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff until 6 p..m. Saturday at the White House and all public buildings, military posts and naval stations around the nation to honor Graham.
The 71-year-old longstanding Republican leader from South Carolina was close with Trump, who described Graham as a “member of the family.”
“What a terrible loss it is,” Trump said in an interview Sunday morning on CNN. “He was a great politician. He was a natural. There are very few of them. He was a natural politician. He got along with everybody.”
Under federal law, American flags must be lowered to half-mast for at least two days when a member of Congress dies. The president can order flags lowered for other government figures as well to respect their memory.
In San Francisco, the flag at Fort Mason was among those being lowered this week for Graham, according to a spokesperson for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is owned by the National Park Service.
The Fort Mason flag was flown at half-staff last week for three wildland firefighters who died in June while fighting the Knowles Fire in Colorado, the spokesperson said.
Flags were also seen at half-staff at San Francisco City Hall on Monday morning. The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether they were lowered for Graham.
The Capitol in Sacramento and other state buildings lowered flags Monday morning in response to the presidential proclamation, per protocol.
Graham died from an aortic dissection, or a tear in the main artery that carries blood from the heart, according to a preliminary medical examiner’s finding released by his office. The condition, typically seen in older men and triggered by a blood pressure spike, leads to sudden death in roughly half of patients, medical experts said.
California lawmakers reacted with shock to Graham’s death on Sunday, describing him as a public servant and a “giant,” who aggressively defended national security and fought for what he believed in.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said Monday that Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, will replace the Senator to serve out the remainder of his term ending in January, the Associated Press reported.
Chrissa Olson contributed to this report.
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This article originally published at Why flags across California and the Bay Area are flying at half-staff this week.